Molly Bilinski
Environment & Science reporterI cover environment and science for LehighValleyNews.com. Originally from Schuylkill County, I got my start in journalism writing obituaries for the Reading Eagle in 2014 after graduating from Kutztown University. I’ve also reported for The Press of Atlantic City, covering municipalities, crime and courts, and The Morning Call, where I was part of the audience team. In 2022, I won first place in the diversity category of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association’s Keystone Media Awards. Contact me at mollyb@lehighvalleynews.com or 610-984-8225.
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With the Lehigh Valley under an extreme heat warning next week, Allentown is offering free pool admission. Find out other ways to beat the heat. -
The Delaware River was chosen as the commonwealth’s River of the Year. It was celebrated Wednesday with a festival.
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Easton late last month became the third major city in the Lehigh Valley to seek certification through Bird Town Pennsylvania, an annual designation focused on community-based conservation.
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Tick season is in full swing in the Lehigh Valley. In addition to blacklegged ticks, those most often associated with Lyme disease, the invasive Asian longhorned tick also calls the Valley home.
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Spraying began 8 a.m. Tuesday. Black flies have been a recognized pest of humans and livestock in Pennsylvania since the 1970s.
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The survey aims to capture opinions from local restaurants and eateries about single-use plastics.
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The grant, part of a $650,000 round of funding, came from the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, a State College-based nonprofit.
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Township officials held their first public meeting on the Bushkill Creek Greenway Master Plan. It's a comprehensive, community-driven effort aimed at mitigating flooding, updating facilities and increasing accessibility.
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The $13 million contract was with the Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program. A pandemic-era program, commonwealth farmers were paid to supply local food banks with fresh produce.
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CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, announced the scores Thursday. It’s the highest grade the city has received from CDP since officials started reporting in 2018.
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This New Year’s Day, tens of thousands of people across the country, including dozens in the Valley, will take a guided hike through a state park to mark the beginning of 2024.
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It might seem counterintuitive, but harvesting holiday trees year after year is better for the environment than using an artificial one, experts said, especially amid the proliferation of plastic piling up in landfills.
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Officials on Wednesday reviewed several preliminary transportation policy strategies for the Valley's priority climate action plan. The plan’s focus is to reduce carbon emissions from transportation, a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions across the region.
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More than three dozen projects in the Valley were awarded grants, receiving about 7% of the total funding awarded. Statewide, $335 million in grants were announced Wednesday.
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The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission at 11 a.m. on Wednesday is holding a meeting at its Allentown office to brainstorm and prioritize ways to decarbonize transportation across the region. Decarbonization is the process of reducing or eliminating carbon dioxide emissions.
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Amid the joy and festivities, environmental advocates are urging residents to keep sustainability in mind during what can be a time of year when trash and waste spikes.
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State environmental officials on Thursday evening hosted the last of five public engagement sessions, as they work to create a Priority Climate Action Plan, or PCAP, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emission statewide and mitigate further effects of climate change.
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A Tuesday evening webinar cosponsored by the Bethlehem Area Public Library and Bethlehem Food Co-Op focused on how residents can meaningfully participate in the city’s efforts to fight climate change.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture updated its plant hardiness map, showing a warmer Lehigh Valley. The region has moved into a warmer zone from the one where it was placed more than a decade ago. Experts say it has consequences for plant seasons and species.
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Almost 11,000 birds of prey were counted this year during the Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s annual autumn hawk watch as they made their way along the raptor "superhighway" in the Valley’s backyard.
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Lehigh Valley Breathes is a Valley-wide effort to monitor air quality amid emissions from trucking and warehousing. The project is expected to run for a year.
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State lawmakers on Monday held a committee hearing titled “Minimizing Risk & Harm: Preparing for Pennsylvania’s Hydrogen Future.” It comes almost two months after President Joe Biden announced seven regional clean hydrogen hub projects, including two in Pennsylvania.
